If that sounds ironic, it’s because it is. 😂
At the UN plastics treaty in Busan, India proposed a multilateral fund to help low and middle-income nations shift to recyclable packaging systems.
The proposal’s under negotiation and will be tabled again at the UN INC-5.2 summit in Geneva this August.
If passed, it could unlock billions in global support — with India leading the charge.
Now, why does this matter?
→ Nearly 80% of marine debris is plastic
→ Just 6 ASEAN countries generate 31+ million tonnes of plastic waste annually
→ India still recycles only 30% of its plastic, mostly through informal channels
And yet… we’re the ones stepping up.
The country once blamed for “drowning in plastic” is now offering to fund the life jackets.
Why?
Because if we take that recycling figure from 30% to even 80%, we don’t just solve a local problem, we create a global blueprint. 🔥
And this fund could be a catalyst, not just for India, but for every country grappling with growth vs. sustainability.
And because maybe, just maybe, leadership isn’t about having everything sorted.
It’s about showing up when nobody else does.